Grace Spring Rehabilitation Home, UNICEF, Lagos state review community rehabilitation.
By Ifeoma Ikem
The Grace Spring Rehabilitation Home in collaboration with UNICEF and Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development held a review meeting with stakeholders on diversion of community rehabilitation programme.
The event took place at the fountain of life Church complex Lagos.
Omolara Olawoyin, the Program Coordinator said that the main objectives of the meeting are for the participants to fully understand their diversion community programme as alternative sentencing for children in conflict with the law or children at high risk of offending.
She noted that the Grace Spring rehabilitation centre is the ideal place to serve as alternative centre to correctional home for children beyond parental controls between the ages of 10 – 17years.
According to her, `it is a non-resident training centre where the children learn different kinds of vocation training for at least six months which includes free feeding and transportation.
” The center has trained no fewer than 40 children since inception and some of the children rehabilitated are now instructors in the centre, some returned to school and some travelled oversea.
” We trace the root of such child to the family, we work with children, parents and the community to make it work better, she added.
Olawoyin emphasised the need for communities to continue to carry out sensitization programmes to parents and guardians as the high number of children on the street is alarming.
” We know government cannot do it alone; therefore, all hands should be on deck as only collective effort will reduce the trend drastically.
” The society we are in now is facing parenting problems, parents need to work on themselves: these children on the street, if not rehabilitated can still come back to same environment and have negative effect on the society’’.
Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, the Coordinator, its Advocates For Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN) called on stakeholders to assist in carrying out aggressive sensitization to everyone in their communities.
Omejalile urged parents to look into the well being of their wards because the children need proper parenting.
“It is essential for parents to impact positive spirit on their children because whatever the children will be tomorrow still falls back to the parents and society,’’ he added.
According to him, `now that the economy is hard, parents need to keep eagle eyes on the activities of their children, because they need mentoring, counseling and proper attention.
